🌼🌻

They laid on the bed, her back leaned onto his chest with his arm spread across her, engulfing her in his embrace. He intertwined his fingers with hers and for a while they stayed that way, enjoying each other's presence. He placed a kiss on her temple, and she smiled.

"I'll have to tell my family about us." She stated, and the thought of doing that scared her a little.

"We'll tell them together." He suggested, but she lightly shook her head before turning to stare into his eyes.

"I need to do this alone. Besides... I'm not sure how they might react with you being there." She explained, and he stared at her for a moment before nodding, understanding her point.

She chuckled a bit as she lowered her eyes. "My mum is going to flip. She's the queen of all dramas." A light sigh left her lips. "I'm never going to hear the end from her." Genevieve added, slightly amused and worried all at once.

She lifted her eyes back to meet his, and he smiled at her.

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" He suddenly asked and for the first few seconds, she stared at him, a little surprised by his question.

"A date? Like, public?"

He nodded. "We can go anywhere, just the two of us. Maybe even watch a movie, eat out, anything you want."

She stared at him, longer than he expected, and he worried she might not yet be ready to reveal their relationship to the world. Suddenly, she smiled. "Let's watch a movie. It has been so long since I did that." His smile widened, and he engulfed her in a hug.

Gene couldn't help it. She was unconsciously self-conscious as they walked into the mall hand in hand one evening. She'd paid extra attention to her makeup. Though Elliot had made it clear, he didn't care for anything anyone else had to say, Gene couldn't be that nonchalant. The littlest gathering worried her; maybe she was being talked about. The eye stares troubled her, and she could only try her best at pretending that she wasn't being affected.

Elliot knew better. She'd barely said a word and each time he asked her to make a choice, she would always tell him she was good with whatever he chose, but he knew she really wasn't. He could see how hard she was trying to be comfortable. He understood her worry. They did not quite normalize relationships like theirs in the country. People were going to question her character, and he understood that thought took a toll on her.

He let out a light sigh as he slightly squeezed her hand. She spared him a glance, and he flashed her a smile, leaning a little closer. "Do you know how young and pretty you look?" He rhetorically questioned, and she smiled, appreciative of his attempt at making her feel prouder. "Trust me, neither of the people here can guess how old you are. That's how young and pretty you look." He added and her smile broadened.

"Thank you." She appreciated as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He smiled as he looked away from her, proud of his slight success.

"Here are your tickets." The female attendant behind the counter stated, as she stretched her hand to him. He collected it and soon she was handing them their popcorn and drinks. They thanked her before heading off to find an empty seat and table arranged in an open space just in front of the theatre area.

The movie wasn't ready till about forty-five minutes later, so they sat across from each other and Gene began at eating her popcorn, enjoying every bit and she realised she hadn't eaten popcorn in a while. She couldn't help wondering what she had been doing all these years. Probably, office to home and vice versa. She let out a light sigh. For long, she'd worked her butt off to succeed and somehow, she'd also hidden herself away from the world.

She stared at Elliot, a smile forming at the corner of her face. It was funny how he showed up in her life and has brightened everything up, regardless of her reluctance to let him in. Elliot shifted his eyes back to her and realised she was staring at him with amusement on her face. He smiled back, and she carried a handful of popcorn into her mouth. That was when he spared hers a look. It was halfway down.

"You're supposed to eat that during the movie." He stated, and she lazily blinked at him.

"That's why there is yours." She added, showing to his own popcorn that he has barely touched. He let out a light chuckle in relation to her words and she kept eating, stuffing her mouth with as much as possible.

He lovingly stared at her for a second before reaching out to hold her good hand in his. First, he placed a kiss on the back of her palm; she smiled before he intertwined his fingers with hers, lightly squeezing her hand as they stared at each other lovingly, smiles plastered on their faces. It would seem like they were in their own world.

"Gene?"

They both shifted their eyes up to the direction of the voice and once they met Victor's questioning look, their eyes gradually dilated, surprised to see one of the last persons they had ever expected. Gene coughed in the sparse of the second, almost choking on what she'd been chewing. Elliot's eyes were back on her. Quickly he turned open his drink and hurried to her side, handing her the drink and patting her back to help relieve her. "Sorry." He added as he patted her back.

With a furrow between his brows, he looked from his sister to his friend. Queen, who stood by his side, did nothing but stare at them. A part of her wasn't so surprised because she has had her suspicions for a while, but seeing it fully manifest in front of her still put her in a puzzle.

When she felt better, she shifted her eyes back up to her brother, and his facial expression told her enough about what his thoughts were. She stood to her feet.

"Let's talk." She stated, before leading the way and he followed suit. Queen shifted her eyes to Elliot, who did the same. She flashed him a brief smile, and he did the same.

"To be honest, I've had my suspicions." She added, and he flashed her a weak smile. A huge part of his mind felt concerned for Gene and though she needed to be first to speak to him, he wished he was by her side, helping in whatever way he could.

Gene stopped in a corner that seemed private enough for them to have a chat. Soon, Victor was standing in front of her and Genevieve worried about looking up at him. Eventually, she did and the look in his eyes was different, something she'd never seen in them. He looked different, and she really hoped not too different.

She started by rubbing her hands together, wondering what words to say to him first. How was she going to make him understand?

"I don't know how else to say this except... it's exactly what you think. Elliot and I are... in a relationship. We're together..."

"This is a joke, right?" He interrupted, releasing the furrow between his brows. She stared at him and barely opened her mouth to say something when he interrupted again.

"Do you know how old Elliot is? Twenty-seven and that is nearly a ten years gap to yours." He stretched and Gene couldn't help lowering her eyes from his. She didn't want to feel ashamed, but she couldn't help it.

Gathering up enough courage, she lifted her eyes to him. "Victor..."

"Do you even worry about what everyone would say? If I don't like it, you can only imagine how our parents would react... how the society will perceive you." He added, and she barely gulped down. Yes, there was truth in his words, but this was a decision she'd taken and she was going to stand by it.

"He makes me happy."

"No. I'm never going to accept this... whatever you think you have with him. It's disgusting... and I'm never going to accept it." He blurted out, refused and she could see the anger in his eyes. She knew he meant it, every word he'd said. Her brother could be easy-going and friendly, but once he decided on something, it's ever rare that he changed his mind.

Genevieve felt it, tears coming up, and she wished she could be stronger. She'd expected it and imagined countless times how she would react, but right then, it was harder to take in than she ever imagined. She could only hope it wouldn't be worse with her parents... that was going to break her.